10 December 2016
In an important initiative, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce will grant licences to households for small business activities at home.

The Ministry said yesterday that the initiative aims to create suitable investment environment for entrepreneurs and encourage small businesses.

Under the initiative, the ministry will grant licences to practice business activities at home that “do not require high cost, depend on personal skills, do not utilise disturbing equipment or hazardous materials and aimed to make profit and provide living costs to the licence holder and his family,” said a statement.

Activities that can be practised at home include sewing, services such as filming weddings and events; creating antiques and gifts; preparing and packaging gifts; designing cards and gifts by hand; arranging natural and artificial flowers; electronic services including computer-based designs with the exception of engineering designs which fall within the specialty of engineering companies; business services such as cooking, copying, packaging and binding school textbooks; preparation of perfumes, “dkhoun” (oudh) and beauty products; and food activities such as preparation of coffee, spices and meals. To obtain a licence, the applicant should be at least 18 years old and a resident of the house. 


The annual licensing fee has been fixed at QR1,020. The desired business activity should be consistent with the residential environment and should have the necessary approvals from the competent authorities. A certificate showing completion of construction should be submitted along with the application as well as a civil defence certificate in the case of cooking. The licence should be limited to a single activity and the person should not hold more than one licence per home.

The licence holder is required to place a signboard at the entrance of the house showing the name of the business activity and the licence number.

It is not permitted to display any advertising or promotional boards , flags or striped boards on the house or its exterior walls. The business activity should not disrupt traffic in the area or cause disturbances to other residents. The licence holder can engage only in direct sales to the public from home i.e. home delivery. The new initiative follows issuance of the Ministerial decision No. 242 of 2016 regarding the guidelines, requirements and procedures for granting licenses to practice business activities at home. “This initiative aims to regulate practicing business activities at home, opening up areas for entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses, allowing them to engage in certain business activities from their homes, which constitute a motive for expansion and development of their projects and the opening of shops that will contribute to the economic development and economic diversity,” said the statement. The ministry has asked interested entrepreneurs and small business owners to abide by the regulations, requirements and procedures for obtaining a licence.

© The Peninsula 2016